When a calf sells for less than the price of a coffee there is something wrong

The blame should be shared: those who breed such animals must absorb the costs of rearing them at a loss until they have an economic value and can be sold in the normal manner, writes Kieran Coughlan.

Guilty as charged. As some of you may be aware I also am a dairy farmer. Not to make light of it, but these last few years it seems almost criminal to be dairy farming.

And yes, Monday’s RTÉ Investigates made for uncomfortable viewing. There were instances within the programme of how farmers do care for their animals, but the documentary highlighted the mistreatment of calves at marts, during transport to the EU, and also highlighted the culling of a small percentage of worthless calves.